{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/media/blair-visschers-thesis-links-meta-news-ban-to-wildfire-misinformation-rise","slug":"blair-visschers-thesis-links-meta-news-ban-to-wildfire-misinformation-rise","url":"https://mediabias.news/media/blair-visschers-thesis-links-meta-news-ban-to-wildfire-misinformation-rise","title":"Blair Visscher's thesis links Meta news ban to wildfire misinformation rise","subtitle":"Master's research finds conspiracy content on Facebook surged after Canadian news was removed from the platform","excerpt":"A University of British Columbia Okanagan student's thesis examines how Meta's 2023 news ban amplified misinformation during wildfires in British Columbia. Blair Visscher's research shows conspiracy narratives grew significantly after news outlets were blocked from Facebook and Instagram.","category":"Media","area":null,"publishedAt":"2026-08-12T02:47:54.300Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-12T02:47:54.300Z","readTime":"5 min read","scores":{"trust":62,"critic":51,"hype":20,"notes":{"trust":"Two full reports corroborate digests","critic":"Lacks opposing views and expert quotes","hype":"Measured language in full reports"}},"tags":["#WildfireMisinformation","#MetaNewsBan","#FacebookAlgorithms","#BritishColumbia","#MediaAndEmergencyResponse"],"entities":["Blair Visscher","Meta","Facebook","Instagram","University of British Columbia Okanagan","Bush Creek East wildfire"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["Blair Visscher studied Facebook discussions during three wildfires for her master's thesis at UBC Okanagan.","Her research found conspiracy narratives increased after Meta removed Canadian news from its platforms in August 2023.","Visscher traced growing distrust in official information to the COVID-19 pandemic and Facebook's algorithms.","The Bush Creek East wildfire in 2023 saw a notable rise in misinformation compared to earlier fires."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Blair Visscher, a Vernon resident and master's student at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, studied how misinformation spread on Facebook during wildfire emergencies in Canada. Her research focused on three events: the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, the 2021 White Rock Lake wildfire, and the 2023 Bush Creek East wildfire in the Central Okanagan."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The Bush Creek East wildfire began on 12 July 2023 and was not classified as being held until late September, covering 45,600 hectares. On 2 August 2023, Meta began removing Canadian news content from Facebook and Instagram in response to the Online News Act, a federal policy aimed at requiring tech companies to compensate Canadian news outlets for their content."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Visscher told the Sicamous Eagle Valley News that her hypothesis was that the Meta news ban created an information vacuum. She said this vacuum allowed conspiracy narratives to grow, particularly during emergencies when accurate information was critical. Visscher noted that distrust in government and expert sources had already been rising since the COVID-19 pandemic."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"For her thesis, Visscher analysed Facebook discussions around each wildfire. She found that the proportion of conspiratorial content increased over time. The White Rock Lake wildfire in 2021 saw a smaller share of conspiracy narratives, while the Bush Creek East wildfire in 2023 had a significantly larger share. Visscher attributed this rise to both the Meta news ban and the platform's algorithms, which she said prioritise divisive and engaging content."},{"type":"heading","text":"What the coverage left out"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"No centre- or right-rated outlet carried this story. The omission is a finding: the reports below are all from left-rated or unrated outlets."}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"Sicamous Eagle Valley News","url":"https://eaglevalleynews.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Today In BC","url":"https://todayinbc.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Penticton Western News","url":"https://pentictonwesternnews.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Kitimat Northern Sentinel","url":"https://northernsentinel.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban - Northern Sentinel","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Port Alberni Valley News","url":"https://albernivalleynews.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Red Deer Advocate","url":"https://reddeeradvocate.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Nunavut News","url":"https://nunavutnews.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Houston Today","url":"https://houston-today.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Caledonia Courier","url":"https://caledoniacourier.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban - Fort St. James Caledonia Courier","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Vancouver Island Free Daily","url":"https://vancouverislandfreedaily.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Peninsula News Review","url":"https://peninsulanewsreview.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"ominecaexpress.com","url":"https://ominecaexpress.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban - Vanderhoof Omineca Express","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Cranbrook Daily Townsman","url":"https://cranbrooktownsman.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Smithers Interior News","url":"https://interior-news.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"grandforksgazette.ca","url":"https://grandforksgazette.ca/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban - 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The Sicamous Eagle Valley News and Penticton Western News, which published full reports, quoted Visscher directly on how the news ban created an information vacuum that conspiracy theories filled.","Both full reports described how Visscher's research traced the roots of social distrust to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also highlighted her observation that Facebook's algorithms do not promote official information, leaving users to believe it does not exist if they do not see it. The Sicamous Eagle Valley News quoted Visscher saying, \"If you aren’t seeing official information, that’s likely just because your algorithm is not showing it to you.\"","The digests from the left-rated outlets summarised Visscher's research similarly. They noted that her thesis examined the rise of conspiracy narratives during wildfires and linked this to Meta's decision to block Canadian news. None of the digests quoted Visscher directly, but all mentioned the connection between the news ban and the spread of misinformation."],"centre":[],"right":[],"comparison":""},"blindspot":{"status":"provisional","underrepresentedSide":"right","note":"Coverage is not closed; this is a provisional gap, not a settled blindspot finding."},"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"high":9,"unknown":2,"veryHigh":3},"ownershipDistribution":{"privateEquity":1,"billionaire":1},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"Sicamous Eagle Valley News","url":"https://eaglevalleynews.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z"},"countries":[{"country":"Salmon Arm, Columbia-Shuswap, British Columbia, Canada","count":1},{"country":"Parksville, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada","count":1},{"country":"Cranbrook, East Kootenay, British Columbia, Canada","count":1}],"outlets":[{"name":"Sicamous Eagle Valley News","url":"https://eaglevalleynews.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Salmon Arm, Columbia-Shuswap, British Columbia, Canada","repostedFrom":"Red Deer Advocate"},{"name":"Today In BC","url":"https://todayinbc.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z","leaningSide":null,"leaningRating":"unknown","factualityRating":"unknown","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":"Red Deer Advocate"},{"name":"Penticton Western News","url":"https://pentictonwesternnews.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban","publishedAt":"2026-08-12T01:00:00.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"veryHigh","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":"Red Deer Advocate"},{"name":"Kitimat Northern Sentinel","url":"https://northernsentinel.com/2026/08/11/b-c-womans-thesis-examines-wildfire-misinformation-amid-meta-news-ban","headline":"B.C. woman's thesis examines wildfire misinformation amid Meta news ban - 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